Goddess's Journey

In a room within the royal palace of the elves, Lilith was seated comfortably on a couch, with the exception of Almace's rather imposing presence on her lap. Almace, significantly larger than Lilith, was leaning into her in an overly affectionate manner, making Lilith the subject of her intense affection.

Despite the somewhat awkward situation, Lilith with a nonchalant expression, continued to share findings on what exactly happened with Galena, Sivel, and Azriel.

"So that's what happened," Lilith concluded her explanation.

"It seems it had something to do with destiny..." Almace mused thoughtfully, resting his chin on his hand in contemplation.

Galena, piecing together the information, looked towards Sivel with curiosity. "So, does that mean only the two of us can change destiny without suffering the consequences?" she inquired.

"Yes," Lilith confirmed, affirming their unique roles and abilities in the grand scheme of things.

Feeling reassured and emboldened by this revelation, Sivel declared confidently, "Then there's nothing to worry about." She emphasized her point by proudly puffing out her chest. "I've been practicing my magic skills and studying new spells."

"Ah is that so..." Lilith muttered while awkwardly scratching her cheek as she felt a needle hit her guilty conscious. After all, it only took her a second to learn a new magic spell.

"By the way, while I was gone have you met up with Eldric?" Lilith asked Sivel which quickly caused her face to flush red.

"No... but he did write me a letter saying there was something going on in his kingdom that he had to attend. But he said he would come to visit as soon as possible..."

"That's nice." Lilith nodded. The smile of a virgin.

At that moment Almace used both her hands to cup Lilith's cheeks. "Master! Let's go hunting...!" Then turning back into a sword Almace fell into Lilith's soft hands. "Ah...! The gentle touch of master's hand!"

But opposite of her expectation Lilith sheathed Almace. 

"I'm sorry Almace but I promised your sisters first..."

"W-what...?!" Almace was in utter shock.

"Not everything goes your way." Ragnarok teased. "Sit back and wait."

"I agree." Even the quiet Harpe had a say in this.

"NOOOOOO!!!" Almace cried.

Lilith looked back at the group and spoke. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes," Galena responded, catching her attention. "There's a noblewoman from an allied country who's been seeking your guidance," she informed.

"Ah... that's right!" Lilith remembered suddenly, then pondered, 'Could this be my only Acolyte?' Knowing her status as a goddess gave her insights into many matters, yet she asked for confirmation, "Are you talking about Seraphina Greenwood, the Duchess of Veridiania?"

Yes? Yes, how did you know... ah." Galena's question trailed off as she remembered she was speaking to a goddess. "Do you wish to find her?"

"Perhaps," Lilith replied, considering the idea. With not much else on her agenda besides hunting monsters, the idea of visiting a human kingdom seemed like an interesting diversion. Plus, it would be her first experience visiting a fantasy human kingdom

"Then, Sivel can go with you, my grace," Galena suggested, giving Sivel a quick look.

"Huh?" Sivel looked surprised and a bit confused.

"It's just that if something like another manifest destiny event happens, you'd be there to help her grace avoid stepping in," Galena explained the reasoning behind her suggestion to Sivel.

"And what about you?" Sivel questioned, curious why Galena herself wouldn't be joining them.

"I've got my country to look after, but if Lilith wants, I'd be happy to join," Galena responded, her eyes seeking Lilith's decision.

"No need for you to leave your country; I wouldn't ask that of you," Lilith assured her, showing understanding of Galena's responsibilities.

"Looks like it's all on you then, sister," Galena said, giving Sivel an encouraging shoulder pat. "I'm actually a bit jealous." Her tone was light, hinting at the special opportunity Sivel had to accompany Lilith on her journey.

"When would you like to leave?" Galena asked, ready to make arrangements. "I'll have a carriage ready."

"No... I don't need one," Lilith declined, preferring the simplicity of walking. "And I don't see any problem with leaving right now..."

"I see, I'll prepare..."

Before Galena could finish, Lilith interrupted again, "It's fine; we won't need anything."

"H-huh, what about me?" Sivel chimed in, concerned. Unlike Lilith, who didn't require energy in the conventional sense, and Azriel, a demon who used mana for sustenance, Sivel, being an elf, still needed food to survive.

'Ah...' It dawned on Lilith that she had overlooked this detail.

Just then, Azriel appeared right behind Sivel, gently resting his hands on her shoulders. "You're not questioning our lady, are you? Look at it this way – this journey to the human kingdom is actually a training session for you. Right now, you're not strong enough to be of real help to our lady when she might need you," he explained, suggesting that the trip would be a chance for Sivel to improve her skills.

'No, that's not why we're doing this,' Lilith silently disagreed with Azriel's improvised explanation, though she couldn't deny feeling somewhat relieved by his quick thinking.

"I see..." Sivel said, nodding in understanding. Whether she fully bought into Azriel's explanation or simply chose to trust in their plan wasn't clear, but she seemed ready to go along with it.

Just a short while later, Lilith, Sivel, and Azriel were all set to depart from the elven kingdom, standing at the edge of elven territory.

"Eh...? Isn't this kinda too fast?" Sivel couldn't help but voice her concern.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Lilith turned to her, puzzled.

"Th-that's..." Sivel hesitated, her voice soft. "I've never really left the elven kingdom before..."

"Eh...?" Lilith was taken aback.

"Well, it's all part of the experience," Galena chimed in with a supportive smile, there to see them off.

Before they left, Galena handed a golden pendant to Lilith. "What's this?" Lilith inquired, curious about the object.

"Show them this pendant when you get to the human kingdom. It'll serve as a way to identify yourself. It should be quite helpful," Galena explained.

"I see, thank you," Lilith expressed her gratitude.

"Not at all, your grace," Galena replied, visibly pleased to have been of assistance.